Some pets, due to their height or where they position themselves within the litter box, eliminate waste over the edge of the litter box, which waste is then deposited outside of the box. Various products have been introduced to address this problem. However, these products have shortcomings that make them unacceptable to some pet owners.
One of the products available is the covered litter box, which consists of a litter box and an enclosure which attaches to the upper rim of the litter box and completely encloses it except for one entrance opening into the box. However, it is also known that there are certain problems associated with this type of covered box. The inner walls and bottom rim of the detachable cover can become soiled with waste, and must be cleaned from time to time. The large size and shape of the cover make it impractical for some pet owners to clean in a standard sized utility sink. While liners exist to protect the litter box pan, the enclosed cover has no disposable liner or means to attach a liner to the inner sides to provide for easy cleanup and maintenance. Furthermore, urine can collect in the transitional area where the cover rests on the litter box. It can then leak to the outside of the box through the transitional area, or when the cover is removed for cleaning. The litter within the litter pan should be changed or have the waste scooped out on a regular basis. When the litter box is enclosed by a cover, the cover must be removed in order to scoop waste out of the litter. If the cover is clamped to the frame, some of the clamping devices are difficult to disengage. The removal of the cover can be a cumbersome extra step which can be a deterrent to scooping out the litter on a regular basis. Furthermore, with the cover on the box, one cannot readily see if there is waste to be scooped out. The loss of this visual reminder can also be a deterrent to scooping the litter regularly. Cats are sensitive to odor and the concentrated odor contained within a covered litter box can be offensive to some cats to such degree that they stop using the litter box. Tall or large cats may find the covered box too confining, and some pets for unknown reasons do not want to enter them. Another disadvantage of the covered box is that because the location of the entryway into the box is fixed, and because the cover is rather high, there are limitations as to where the covered litter box can be oriented and placed within the house.
An uncovered litter box is known which has relatively high, permanently attached sides. Such bulky shape does not allow easy cleaning in a standard sized utility sink. The currently available litter pan liners are sized for standard-height litter boxes, and may not fit the extra large or high-sided litter boxes. Some of these high-sided litter boxes also have an entry opening into the box which is higher than an average rim for the animal to step over. This can be a problem for young, small, injured, older, and less agile pets. Another product on the market has a detachable ‘lip’ that locks onto the upper rim of the litter box and extends out horizontally a few inches from the rim to catch stray litter. This attachment does not extend the sides vertically to effectively prevent waste from overshooting the litter box.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an apparatus that prevents animal waste and litter from escaping from the litter box, and also allows easy cleanup and maintenance, flexible orientation, and can provide side-barrier protection, even to a low-sided litter pan.